Postcard from Paris
by gleefulmia
Summary: She owes Tina and Mercedes and the rest of her castmates a huge debt of gratitude for realizing she needed a break and sending her on this vacation, without them she would not have met Finn, and he is quickly becoming a huge part of her heart.


Hi guys! I've been working on this fic now for about 3 weeks, after being inspired by the Monchele Europe pics. It's officially the longest oneshot I have done thus far, so I hope you enjoy. It is also my first M rated fic, so I am pretty nervous. Please leave a review when you're done, it would mean a lot :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or its characters. Those are property of Fox and Ryan Murphy Productions. I only own a couple of characters who you won't recognize. The title comes from the song Postcard from Paris by The Band Perry.

Postcard From Paris

i.

Pacing anxiously as she waits for the tour guide to call the group together, Rachel Berry looks around at the people who she will spending the next three weeks with. There are people of all shapes and sizes, ranging from what looks to be a couple of college students her own age to an 80 something year old couple. One guy in particular catches her eye. He's unbelievably tall, standing well over six feet, making her feel like a tiny dwarf in comparison. She looks up into his face and notices that not only is he huge, but he's also very cute...scratch that, he's ridiculously hot!

His hair is a bit mussed at the sides, but is spiked up slightly at the top of his head, looking a bit like a shark fin. He's turned away from her, so she can't really see the colour of his eyes, but she imagines them to be a nice brown colour. His face is covered in a bit of scruff, which although she isn't usually a big fan, she thinks he manages to pull it off quite nicely. He must sense her gawking because he turns to look at her and gives her a sideways smirk causing her to blush and turn away automatically.

"Alright everybody, gather around." The Tour Guide, a man who introduces himself as David, shouts to the group of 25. "Welcome to Long Island Adventure Tours Europe 2012 trip. I can sense that you're all eager to get going so I'll just go over a few basic rules we have to follow, and then we can board the plane for our first destination."

David goes into a 10 minute long speel about various rules that seem a bit childlike, basically they all say the same thing don't get lost and stay with the group. Rachel rolls her eyes as his speech finally comes to an end and their flight number is called for boarding.

Rachel grins to herself when she sees she managed to snag a window seat for herself, not something she usually manages. She sits down and pulls out all her essentials, being a bottle of water, her ipod and a book (currently she is reading Bethenny Frankel's Naturally Thin).

"Good read?" Rachel hears a deep voice interrupt her thoughts. She nods, but doesn't really pay much attention to the man who's talking to her.

"You know, I've actually seen her show, it's not bad I guess." The man's voice breaks her of her thoughts again. "It basically seems like a big F-you to men though, if you ask me."

Rachel sighs, placing her book down on her lap. "Well your opinion wasn't needed." She states. "I am actually a big fan of hers."

"Oops sorry." He mumbles his apology and it is then when she notices who is talking to her. The cute guy who caught her gawking at him before.

She blushes at him again and shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"S'ok." The man shrugs. "Not like I didn't deserve it." He finally pulls his ridiculous sun glasses off and she sees his amber coloured eyes. She was right, they are beautiful. "You're here for the Europe trip right?"

Rachel nods.

"So am I." He smiles brightly. "My name's Finn."

Rachel bites back a laugh and the thought in her head. It's incredibly ironic that his name is Finn and his hair is styled in a certain way. Finn notices her giggle.

"What?" He asks.

"N..nothing, I just thought your name was a bit ironic considering your hair..." She trails off when he runs a hand over his head. So _sexy_. She thinks.

"What my style?" Finn laughs. "There's a reason for it, it's not ironic at all."

"You style your hair in a fin?" She lets out a full on laugh now. He's a bit of a dwork and she likes it.

"Well my brother started it, saying something about it being my trademark, but I liked it to so I got him to show me how and well here we are." Finn shrugs. "So uh, you never told me your name."

"Oh sorry, I'm Rachel and it is very lovely to meet you Finn Hudson."

Finn laughs at her enthusiasm. "Just call me Finn. And it's nice to meet you, Rachel."

"So you just came on this trip alone because it sounded like a good time?" Rachel questions him.

Finn shakes his head. "Not exactly, my brother kind of forced me into it. He paid for my plane ticket as an early birthday gift. He's convinced that I need to get away from the city for awhile."

Rachel nods. She can definitely understand that. "Need a break from work?"

"More like life in general." Finn sighs knowing he may as well tell her now. She'll figure it out eventually anyways when she sees him sulking. "I just went through a pretty brutal break-up."

"Oh." Rachel mouths. "I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Finn nods. "Maybe not right now, but someday soon."

She smiles reassuringly and pats his arm in a sort of supportive gesture.

"So what about you? Why are you on this vacation alone?" Finn asks curiously. "You don't have to tell me or anything."

"No, it's perfectly fine." Rachels assures. "My friends Tina and Mercedes decided that I needed a vacation away from my job. They think I work too much and too hard and they say I never have time for myself, which is why I'm so uptight all the time." She huffs causing Finn to laugh.

"Yeah you're not uptight at all." Finn jokes, but after she glares at him, he immediately apologizes. "Sorry, I was kidding."

"Anyways." Rachel says as she tosses her long hair over her shoulders. "They pooled their money together, along with some of my other friends from the theatre community and they paid for my entire trip. It would have been a nice gesture if it wasn't for their reasoning."

Finn nods as he takes in her words. "So you're an actress?"

Rachel nods. "In a manner of speaking. I sing and dance as well. I'm a Broadway actress."

"Cool." Finn muses. "My brother's a Broadway buff. What show are you in? I'm sure he has probably seen it and therefore I've probably heard of it."

"I played Nala in The Lion King up until a few weeks ago and after this vacation is over I'll be moving on to play Sherri in Rock of Ages."

"Awesome." Finn grins. "I love The Lion King, granted I've never seen the show on Broadway, but I love the movie. It was my favourite when I was a kid. And I've heard of Rock of Ages, come to think of it, Kurt says it's one of the few musicals I'd probably actually enjoy. Something about their being a lot of classic rock in it."

Rachel nods. "It's basically a tribute to every single 80s mega hit. There's everything from Pat Benetar to REO Speedwagon to Journey."

"That sounds great. Those are some of my favourite bands and if you're in it, I'll have another good reason to see it."

Rachel blushes but nods in appreciation of his compliment. "Thank you. It's certainly not my dream role, but it will help me get there if the revival of the show is a hit."

"What is your dream role?" Finn asks.

"I want to play either Eva Peron in Evita or Fanny Brice in Funny Girl." Rachel replies.

"Ah a Barbra Streisand fan I see." Finn laughs and Rachel is actually impressed that he even knows who Barbra Streisand is.

"Well I am named after her so..."

"That explains it." Finn jokes. "But seriously, that's great that you have those dreams and are chasing them. I wish I could say the same."

"What do you do?" Rachel questions.

"I'm a columnist for the New York post." Finn says and he almost looks ashamed.

Rachel makes a face. "That is, uh, a good tabloid."

Finn shrugs. "A job's a job and they were the only ones to offer me a job after I graduated from Ohio State with a degree in journalism."

"But I'm guessing you'd rather be reporting elsewhere." Rachel says.

"If the opportunity becomes available then yes, definitely. It's not like I actually like to write the stuff I do. I always said that if I got the chance to be a reporter, then I would speak the truth."

"You never know, maybe someday you'll be writing an article about my rise to stardom." Rachel says hoping it comes off as a joke, although she is half-serious, Finn doesn't need to know that.

Finn laughs. "Maybe."

They talk like that for the rest of the 8 hr flight from New York's La Guardia Airport to London's Heathrow. They learn about each other's lives in between sleeping for small amounts of time.

Finn learns that Rachel, like him, is from Ohio, although she grew up in Columbus while he grew up in the tiny cowtown of Lima. He learns she is an only child and was raised by her two fathers who are the most important people in her life. He also learns she has been acting, singing, and dancing since the age of 2, and when she was younger she was so involved in those lessons that she rarely had time for anything else, hence why she had so few friends until she went away to college, where she met Tina and Mercedes.

Rachel learns that Finn was raised solely by his mother after his father died in the war. His mother, Carole, remarried when Finn was 16 to a man who has a son Finn's age, his step-brother Kurt. She learns that Finn and Kurt are about as close as two brothers could be, although they had some problems in the past that have since been resolved. Finn talks alot about his best friends Puck, Sam, and Santana, who have been his friends since high school. By the time the two finish talking it feels as if they have known each other for years as opposed to merely a few hours.

"You know, Finn, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Rachel smiles.

Finn can't help but agree, though deep down he thinks he might want a bit more than friendship with this amazing girl. Only time will tell.

ii.

After arriving at Heathrow Airport, collecting their baggage, and finding their shuttle, the shuttle takes the group to their hotel, the St. Giles Hotel Central London. The hotel is in the perfect location, located close to one of the many underground stations in the city as well as within walking distance of some of London's most famous tourist attractions. Finn and Rachel couldn't be happier with the hotel and its surroundings, and are even more ecstatic when they realize their rooms neighbour each other.

Finn unpacks his things in record time and knocks on Rachel's door as soon as he is finished.

"Come in." Rachel says, already knowing who it is.

"Are you seriously still unpacking?" Finn asks upon seeing her rifling through one of her many bags.

Rachel chooses to ignore him, as she puts away the final article of clothing. "There, I'm done, are you happy?"

Finn snickers at her feigned annoyance. "I am! Can we go explore now?"

Rachel can't help but laugh at how much he sounds like a little boy. She checks her watch and realizes they still have a few hours before dinner time. They were told they were able to go look around during the groups downtimes, so long as they always had a cell phone with them.

"I guess we can." She says with a grin.

"Great, I know where our first stop will be." Finn grabs her hand without even thinking twice and Rachel can't help but feel the sparks that fly even at the slightest touch.

He pulls her through the crowded streets of central London and within a few blocks, they arrive at London Bridge.

"Finn, is this what I think it is?" She asks, looking up at her new friend.

Finn smiles down at her and nods. "London Bridge, the famous bridge from the song. although this definitely isn't the original bridge."

"It's amazing." Rachel stares in astonishment as she stands on the pedestrian walkway over the bridge, staring down at the world famous Thames River. "Can you believe how beautiful this is?" She pulls out her camera and takes a dozen or so pictures of their surroundings.

Finn offers to take one of her with her back facing the water.

"Your turn." She insists and pushes him to stand in the same position she was just in. He does her one better and pulls her to stand beside him, asking a passing stranger to take their picture, to which the person agrees. Finn and Rachel both smile widely at the camera, Finn's arm finding its way around Rachel's shoulders. If people didn't know any better, they would probably assume they were a couple.

As they make their way back to the hotel, they pass a street vendor with a lot of different souveniers.

"Rach, check this out." Finn says pulling out the most ridiculous hat Rachel has ever seen in her life. It's about a foot tall and has the British flag stitched on it.

"You are definitely a tourist." Rachel says with a laugh, seeing the vendor eyeing Finn strangely as well.

"I like it." Finn insists.

"Finn, if you buy that thing, you are on your own for the rest of the trip, I will not be caught dead next to you."

Finn pouts and puts his wallet away. "Party pooper." He mutters causing Rachel to giggle. He shakes his head at her with a smirk on his face, before he places the hat on top of her head. It ends up falling right down on her face, blocking her vision.

Rachel sends him a glare as soon as he lifts the hat from her head. "Sorry didn't realize it would be that big on you."

"You just messed up my hair." Rachel growls.

Finn's eyes widened as he believes she is actually pissed. "I..I'm so sorry, it was meant to be a joke, I swear."

Rachel can't hold it in any longer and releases a fit of giggles. Finn looks annoyed after realizing he has just been played, but then he ends up laughing as well.

"You should have seen the look on your face." Rachel says as she tries to catch her breath.

"I thought you were actually mad at me."

"Finn, I can assure you that I am not one of those girls like you have probably dated in the past." Rachel says this without thinking an immediately wishes she could take it back after seeing the dejected look on Finn's face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Finn just shrugs. "It's alright, you didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Rachel asks not understanding.

"My ex-girlfriend was one of those girls. She was so critical of everything I did, if I did anything stupid, she would call me out on it"

"I'm very sorry that you had to deal with that, but I promise I can take a joke." Rachel smiles in an attempt to lighten the mood once again.

"You're cool, Rachel."

Rachel bites her lip to try to stop the beam that spreads across her face. She was trying to fight it before, but now she knows she is developing feelings for Finn Hudson.

"Come on, we should pick something and then get back to the hotel for dinner." Rachel says.

Finn ends up picking out a plain black t-shirt with the British Flag on front while Rachel picks out a tank top with the flag in a sparkly design. They get back to the hotel just in time for dinner to start and for their guide to go over the itinerary for the first leg of the trip in England.

"Tomorrow we tour Westminister Abbey, Big Ben, and Tower of London. It's going to be a big day so I hope everyone gets enough sleep tonight." David, the guide, suggests.

The rest of the night is pretty tame, Finn and Rachel spend the evening in Rachel's room watching tv and talking some more. Finn goes to his room at around 10 pm and they both manage to get a good amount of sleep.

The next day is crazy with breakfast being served at 9 am sharp, followed by a brief run down of the days events. They tour Westminister Abbey and Rachel thinks its even more beautiful than the pictures. Finn agrees saying that he appreciates the architecture of the building. They get pictures outside of Big Ben, both making funny faces at the camera. Finn's favourite part of the day, however, is the Tower of London. David tells them the stories of the buildings horrific past and the many ghosts that are said to haunt the place. Rachel subconsciously moves a little closer to Finn upon hearing this. As they tour the building, she ends up finding herself holding onto his arm.

"You're not scared are you?" Finn asks with a snort.

Rachel smacks his arm in return. "Don't make fun of me. I am actually afraid of ghosts."

"You believe in that crap?" Finn asks.

Rachel nods. "There are too many unexplainable thinks in this world for there not to be."

Finn just laughs and lets her continue to hold onto his arm.

Once they exit the building and make their way back to their hotel, they are given the rest of the night to do as they please. Finn decides he wants to try The London Eye. Rachel takes one look at the huge ferris wheel and flips out.

"There is no way I am getting on th..that thing." Rachel says stubbornly.

"Are you afraid of heights or something?" Finn asks genuinely curious.

Rachel shakes her head. "Not so much heights..."

Finn looks at her.

"Ok maybe a little, but in my defence I had a bad experience on a ferris wheel as a child." She huffs.

"Did you get stuck at the top for a long period of time? That would freak me out a little." Finn says.

"As a matter of fact, yes that is what happened. Something happened to one of the generators at the fair I was at and the circuit blew causing the machine to get stuck. I was stuck at the top for a good 2 hours with my crazy cousin who kept swinging the box back and fourth to scare me." Rachel explains.

Finn nods in understanding. "Well I'm pretty sure that won't happen here and if it does, I promise not to rock the box back and fourth like that, so will you come on with me? I really don't want to be the dweeb who rides a world famous ferris wheel by himself."

Rachel laughs a little and reluctantly agrees to go on with him. The ride to the top is surprisingly gentle and Rachel even starts to relax halfway through. They get to the top and the ride pauses for a few minutes, causing Rachel to tense up.

"Relax." Finn instructs by placing his hand on her knee. "It's supposed to stop for a bit so you can take in the view."

Rachel's muscles un-tense and she relaxes her shoulders again, appreciating the beautiful view of London.

"It's gorgeous up here." Rachel says after a few minutes of silence.

Finn nods. He gently reaches over and takes her hand in his. Rachel turns to face him in surprise. She sees a strange look in his eyes as she stares at her with a small, tentative smile on his face.

"Rach I..."

Rachel interrupts him as he begins to lean in a little. "You can kiss me if you want to."

Finn's smile grows more confident as he leans in a little more. "I want to."

Their kiss is slow at first with just a brush of their lips. Finn pulls away after a second to make sure everything is ok. He sees Rachel with her eyes still shut and licking her lips, so he leans in again and captures her lips again. This time the kiss is a little more confident as Finn's lips glide over hers. His tongue flicks over her top lift and she grants him access. Their tongues soon begin the battle for dominance and they only pull away when the ride starts to move again.

"That was..." Rachel begins to say only to be interrupted.

"Incredible." Finn finishes. He's never had a first kiss like that before. He could literally feel something shift when he kissed her, like his life shift gears or something.

"I was going to say amazing, but incredible works to." Rachel giggles.

The ride begins to descend and Finn doesn't let go of Rachel's hand until they arrive back at their hotel, completely spent from the days activities.

"I had a great time with you today." Finn says.

Rachel agrees as they hug each other good night, both going to sleep thinking about that kiss.

The next few days, neither Finn nor Rachel has enough guts to bring up their kiss, so they just don't talk about it at all, but that doesn't mean they don't spend their time thinking about it. The tour group spends the time exploring the English countryside, visiting random towns here and there, shopping and meeting the people. On their last day in England, they visit Buckingham Palace. The Palace is huge and beautiful and takes their breath away.

Finn tries to be a smart ass by attempting to get the guards to crack a smile, but fails miserably causing Rachel to laugh at him. She just shakes her head and pretends not to know him when one of the guards actually gives Finn a dirty look, breaking character for a few seconds.

Their time in England is great but they can't help thinking that France will be even better. Paris better watch out.

iii.

They take the train from London to Paris which take all of a few hours. France is beautiful and Finn and Rachel take in all the amazing views they possibly can before they arrive in what is said to be the most romantic city in the world. Arriving in Paris, they can't help but agree with that assessment. The city is gorgeous, despite hearing from various people that it is dirty and smelly. It is very crowded, even more so than London was. There are little french cafes on every street corner it seems and little boutiques scattered everywhere as well. Rachel falls in love with the city from the get go and Finn can't help but smile at her excitement and fawning over the city.

"Can you believe we're in Paris?" Rachel asked with a beam as she twirled around on the sidewalk outside of the hotel they were staying in. It's an older one in a fairly central part of the city. Like in London, they are within walking distance of many attractions as well as the train to get from one place to another easily enogh.

"I take it you're one of those girls who has always dreamed of coming to Paris?" Finn asks with a laugh.

Rachel nods. "It's romantic, what girl wouldn't love to be here?"

It is fairly late in the evening so they stick fairly close to their hotel, venturing into a few boutiques along the same street. Rachel finds a scarf that she falls in love with and even though it is a little more than she should be spending on a single item, she buys it anyway. Finn decides to splurge on the two of them and buys them each a coffee and a pastry from a little cafe directly across the street from their hotel.

The next day the tour group gathers together to go to their first stop in the city, the Musee du Louvre. Rachel is ecstatic to get to visit the world famous museum. She loves looking at famous paintings and trying to figure out the meaning behind them. Finn, on the other hand, really only cares to see two paintings: the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The only two paintings he has heard of. He can't help but be in awe when he lays his eyes on the Mona Lisa. It really is a beautiful painting, even if it is a little depressing. Rachel offers to take his picture with the painting and he quickly agrees, only if she agrees to join him. They awkwardly try to stand side by side and get a shot with the painting as well, but when it fails after the first few times, Rachel uses her French language skills and asks a man nearby to take it for them.

The second place they visit that day is the Notre Dame Cathedral. Finn honestly wasn't all that excited when he heard they were visiting yet another old cathedral given that they had visited a ton of them in England, but this building was something else. It was probably one of the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen. Rachel got excited when she found out he didn't know a lot about the history of the building and she started on a long rant about it. Finn tried to pay attention, but he was more or less distracted by the various statues surrounding the area.

That night they are given the chance to roam the city a little on their own. Most people choose to take advantage of the shopping in the area around the hotel, but Finn has other plans in mind.

"Hey Rach, want to come check out the Seine River with me?" He asks.

Rachel immediately agrees. "But it's actually the River Seine." She corrects.

Finn laughs and apologizes for his mistake jokingly.

They walk alongside the river for a few blocks before Finn spots a small boat with only a few people aboard and getting ready to set sail for a small tour.

"Come on." He says and grabs Rachel's hand in his.

The boat is divided into 2 decks, the top deck has no roof and given that it is a bit chilly, most other passengers decide to stay below deck. Finn leads Rachel up the stairs and they find a place to lie down and look up at the beautiful night sky along with the bright lights of Paris.

Rachel feels the most at peace she has felt in a long time with Finn by her side.

"I love this." Rachel says quietly as she looks up at the sky, lying flat on her back.

Finn smiles at her. "Me too."

Rachel can't help but notice a change in Finn's tone, but decides to shrug it off until he says something that captures her attention.

"Rachel, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for the past couple of days." He begins.

Rachel sits up and turns her entire body to face him. "What's wrong?"

Finn sits up and takes her hand in his. "Look I know we're only on this vacation for a couple more weeks and when we get back home, you'll go back to your life as a Broadway star and I'll go back to my boring life and we probably won't see each other again..." He's ranting now and he can sense Rachel becoming confused.

"Finn, where are you going with this?"

"We're friends right? Really good friends?" He asks. She nods in return. "These past few days, ever since we kissed, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it or you."

Rachel smiles as she replays their kiss in her head for what seems like the millionth time. "Me neither."

Finn grins at this. "Really?"

Rachel laughs. "Of course, the only reason I haven't brought it up is because I didn't want to make things awkward between us. I didn't think you felt the same."

"That's the same reason I never brought it up." Finn laughs. "So are you saying you'd be willing to take a chance on me?"

Rachel bites her lip, seemingly in deep thought before she nods. "I think I would. I don't know, I think this could be something really special and we'll never know until we try."

"That's great, that's amazing, that's..." Finn is interrupted.

"Finn, you can shut up and kiss me."

Finn calms down immediately as he grabs her face between his hands and pulls her mouth to his, kissing her even more passionately than the first time. They break apart a few minutes later and lay down on the boat underneath the stars again, this time relaxed in each other's arms.

Their last day in Paris is also their biggest day. The group takes a shuttle a little out of town to the Palace of Versailles. The Palace is magnificent and everything anyone could ever imagine a palace to look like. Finn and Rachel follow behind their group, hand in hand, no one seeming to notice the shift in their relationship, as they look at all the different artifacts from the past royalty. As they are leaving the Palace, their tour guide, takes it upon himself to get a big group photo. Finn and Rachel stand in the back row, Rachel on Finn's back as the picture is taken, neither seem to notice the flash of the camera as they look into the other's eyes.

That night they take in what is possibly their biggest stop on the tour, the Eiffel Tower. When they first get their, the sun is setting but it is still light enough to see around the city without the need for street lights. Rachel practically drags Finn to the elevator claiming she wants to see the view from the top.

"I thought you were afraid of heights." Finn counters jokingly.

Rachel rolls her eyes, because of course he would remember that one little detail. "I am sort of, but this is the Eiffel Tower Finn, if we don't go to the top, I know I will regret it."

Finn laughs and allows him to drag him onto the already overcrowded elevator. He cringes a little, feeling slightly claustrophobic, but Rachel's hand in his calms his nerves immensely.

They get to the top and eventually find an area around the edge that isn't occupied by other tourists, and the view really is as spectacular as everyone says. The city lights reflect beautifully along the waters of the Seine, it's magical.

Finn takes the moment to pull Rachel to stand in front of him. She places her hands on the railing as she leans back against him, his hands finding their way around his waist.

"I don't want to leave here tomorrow." Rachel says sadly. Paris really is everything she's dreamed of, especially since she found Finn.

Finn nods against her head. "Me neither, but for now, can we just capture this moment, tune out the rest of the world, just focus on where we are now in this amazing city."

Rachel smiles. "The city of love."

Finn chuckles. "It sure is."

They're quiet and content standing, feeling as if they are the only two people in the world. Paris and France, in general, has been an incredible experience. Both are saddened that they have to leave and that this marks the half way point on their European adventure, but even more amazing sights and experiences await them as they venture to their next destinations: Germany and Austria.

iv.

"Look Finn, it's the old site of the Berlin Wall." Rachel points out from her seat on the shuttle taking them to their hotel in Berlin, Germany.

Finn nods upon seeing the graffiti covered structure. In all honesty, he kind of expected it to be a bit more interesting than what he was seeing.

"That's great, Rach." He smiles encouragingly at his tiny girl...what does he call her girlfriend? Makeout buddy? They never really discussed the official status of their relationship.

"Hey Rach, what are we exactly?"

Rachel looks away from snapping a few pictures and turns in her seat to face him, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean are we dating? Do I call you my girlfriend?"

Rachel giggles. "Well considering I told David that you were my boyfriend, I think it's ok for you to say I'm your girlfriend."

"You told David about us?" Finn asks.

"Well he kind of saw us together the other night and he asked me specifically, so I figured why bother lying to him, you know?" She cocks her head a little the gauge his reaction.

Finn just nods in understanding and changes the subject. "So what are you most looking forward to seeing in Germany?"

"While I'm sure we will have many amazing experiences in Germany, I am actually most looking forward to Salzburg, Austria."

Finn scrunches his face in confusion. "What's so great about that?"

Rachel's jaw drops and she hits his arm in shock. "Do you mean to tell me your brother is a Broadway buff and yet you've never seen Sound of Music?"

Finn wracks his brain and then remembers that yeah, Kurt had made him sit through the insanely long musical. "What's that got to do with it?"

"Finn, Sound of Music was filmed there. Maria Von Trapp, whose life the musical was based off of, lived there. I've wanted to go there since I was a child, but my Dads always said it was too expensive."

"Of course it's about a musical." Finn rolls his eyes but laughs good naturedly nonetheless.

"If you must know it is also where Mozart was born and raised." She huffs.

This caught his attention. Finn loves music and had studied it a bit in school, he even wrote an entire paper on Mozart for his music theory and composition class.

"That's actually pretty cool." He agrees.

Rachel just laughs and shakes her head as they pull up in front of an older looking building called the Mercure Hotel. It isn't a five star hotel by any means, but part of the vacation package included staying in affordable hotels, and this is one and as a plus it's in a great location.

"It's no Ritz-Carlton, but it'll do." Rachel says, stepping aside as they exit the bus, letting a few other people pass by her, as she waits for Finn to get their luggage before grabbing his hand.

Their time in Germany is pretty jam packed as they're only spending a few days here, as opposed to close to a week in the other places. Their first night is mostly made up of exploring Berlin's shops and a couple museums.

The next day the first thing they do is take a trip to find the Berlin wall. There's not really much left, aside from the small portion they saw on the bus yesterday, but there are small areas where it has been partially restored and they take dozens of pictures standing next to the historic place. After spending a good hour looking around, the tour group heads over to visit the Reichstag. The building is an archiectural marvel, according to their tour guide, mixing modern and historic features.

Finn and Rachel aren't nearly as interested in the Reichstag though as they are when they find a random photobooth outside the building.

"What is that?" Finn asks.

"It's called the Photoautomaten." Rachel explains.

"What are you like a walking encyclopedia?" He teases.

Rachel shrugs. "I read it in the brochures. They're scattered all over the city." She looks ahead and notices the tour group is taking pictures around the old building . She walks over and pulls the curtain from the abandoned photobooth back. "Care to join me?"

"Rach, do you actually think I'm going to fit in there?" Finn asks his girlfriend incredulously.

Rachel's face breaks out in a pout, complete with a pair of puppy dog eyes. Finn is now figuring out that as soon as she pulls that face out, he is so screwed. "Please Finn, it'll be fun. Besides these things are made to fit more than one person."

"Yeah and I'm guessing those people aren't 6'4 giants." Finn points out.

Rachel decides she needs to pull out the big guns. "Finn Hudson, you dragged me on that ferris wheel in London despite the fact that it's like a mile high and I'm not a huge fan of heights. The least you could do is take a few pictures with me in return."

_Damn she fights dirty._ Finn thinks to himself just before giving in. "Fine, but if we get stuck in there, don't say I didn't warn you."

It turns out they don't get stuck and end up with some pretty cool black and white souvenirs to take home. Most of the pictures are goofy pictures with Rachel sitting across Finn's lap, but they manage to get a good one of them kissing. They each get a copy of the pictures and before long it is time for their final stop of the day. Grunewald.

Grunewald is a large forested area in Berlin. Everyone packs themselves a picnic to take for their dinner, including Finn and Rachel who pack theres together.

"I feel so domesticated." Rachel jokes upon seeing their picnic basket.

Finn just snorts in laughter as they enter the area, and manage to hike up to a small clearing including a lake called the Wannsee.

"It's really breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful here." Rachel smiles as she relaxes into Finn's arms.

"It is." Finn agrees and he can't help but think that he always feels perfectly relaxed and content when Rachel is around, he could get used to the feeling.

After relaxing in the picnic area for a while, they decide to join some of their fellow tourists and take a dip in the water, both having remembered the bathing suits.

As soon as Rachel pulls her skirt and tank top off, Finn's jaw drops. Her body is even more gorgeous than he thought it would be. Her breasts are modest, and perfect for him of course. Her ass is smokin' as well. He has to fight the mailman over and over again in his head to get over his excitedness. He and Rachel just started going out, he didn't want to scare her off just yet. Ok not _ever. _

"What's wrong Finn?" Rachel giggles upon noticing Finn's laxed jaw.

Finn closes his mouth immediately and shakes all thoughts of Rachel's hot body out of his head.

"You're beautiful." He says simply but matter-of-factly.

"Thanks, your pretty good looking yourself." She laughs when he blushes. And really, she isn't lying. His body is sculpted just perfectly, not to overdone, but it's obvious he works out. His abs are clearly visible and she can't see how it's possible for him to even seem insecure. He's beautiful, in her opinion. She's a lucky, lucky girl.

They swim for a little while before everyone starts growing tired and it's time to head back to the hotel for the evening after a long day of travelling.

Their second full day in Germany, they go to Neuschwanstein Castle, and as soon as Rachel sees the large structure, she falls in love.

"It's Sleeping Beauty's castle." Rachel tells Finn as they exit the bus, as if Finn should just know that.

He can understand why she is so taken by the castle, it really is amazing, and he could imagine it being feature in a Disney movie. They're not allowed inside the building, so they just venture around the castle grounds.

"Can you imagine what it would be like to live here, Finn?" Rachel asks. "I can just imagine being a princess living in the tallest tower waiting for my knight, that's you, to find me and rescue me."

Finn laughs and shakes his head. "You sound like a little kid."

"Well I have always dreamed of living in my own castle, you know."

And he can imagine a little Rachel making up stories about being a princess and waiting for her prince. It's adorable and he can't help but think that someday it might be nice to have a daughter just like her, not that he'd tell her that just yet. It's still kind of early.

The castle is bit of a drive outside of Berlin so by the time they get back to their hotel it's dinner time. They are given the rest of the evening to do as they please, and there is something Finn desperately wants to try.

They find a restaurant a couple of blocks from their hotel that advertises Wiener Schnitzel. Finn's never had it, but has always wanted to try it. Rachel immediately shakes her head when he offers her some, sticking to her own salad.

"I'm a vegan by choice, Finn." She reminds him.

Finn just shrugs and continues to chow down. It's even more delicious than he thought it would be.

That night they explore Berlin some more. Rachel finds a couple of postcards to send to Mercedes and Tina with the castle on the front at a little corner store. Finn finds a leather jacket that looks badass enough that his friend Puck might like. They bid their goodnights a few hours later, and Rachel squeals excitedly when she thinks of what her next day entails. Salzburg!

Rachel's the first one wake, dressed and down in the lobby of the hotel the next morning. She had tried to drag Finn out of his bed, only to be nearly swatted upside the head as his arm subconsciously reached out. She had tried kissing him awake which only cause him to break into a small smile, mumble a few soft words and turn over, this time facing away from her. She had given up at that point before she decided to get herself dressed and ready.

It is ten minutes before they are scheduled to leave for Salzburg before Finn finally makes his appearance.

"Good morning to you." Rachel greets happily.

Finn rubs more of the sleep from his eyes. "Morning, but I think you already said that this morning."

Rachel giggles and blushes. She didn't think he had been conscious enough to remember her attempts to rouse him. "Sorry." She mumbles.

Finn just shakes his head with a short laugh. "S'alright. You're just excited for today."

Rachel nods enthusiastically. "I've wanted to visit Salzburg ever since I was a little girl, Finn."

"Well then I'm looking forward to seeing you live out your dream."

Rachel smiles at that and rises on her toes to give him an appreciative kiss.

They arrive at Salzburg within a couple of hours and right away Rachel falls in love with the city. It's very picturesque as she imagined it to be, surrounded by rolling hills as was shown in The Sound of Music. She even manages to break out into her own version of The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music, much to Finn's chagrin. He has come to love her voice over the past couple weeks...but people are staring and given that she's grasping his hand so tightly, they know she's with him.

"Rach." He groans.

Rachel just giggles and buries her face in his arm, like she's embarassed or something.

The first place they see is the Mirabell Palace. Their tour guide, David, explains that it is where the Von Trapp children sang many a time.

"Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a Von Trapp child." Rachel whispers in awe to Finn.

Finn laughs. "No I honestly can't."

She slaps his arm when she notices he is laughing at her. "You just lack imagination then." She huffs. "I think I would have made a perfect addition to their family."

"I'm sure you would have, babe." He says and he sincerely means it. She's a bit like a child herself in many ways, one with a very large voice.

The Salzburg Fortress catches Finn's interest. He was a bit of a history buff in high school. He didn't care about learning about wars, but buildings and people interested him. He recognizes the fortress with its ancient walls as one of the buildings featured in his textbooks. He tells this to Rachel and she just gives him an encouraging smile. She's glad that he found something that interested him as well.

They spend a couple hours wandering up and down the Getreidegasse, which is an area of elegant shops in Salzburg. Most of the shops are too expensive for anyone, but it is still nice to look around. Rachel finds an antique watch that she thinks would be perfect for her Daddy, and a second world war pocket knife that her other Dad would enjoy.

They take in a quick show at the world famous Marionette Theatre, and although the puppets kind of creep Finn out, he thoroughly finds himself enjoying it. Rachel just bounces along with the music and he can't help but think that she is the most adorable thing to ever exist.

Their last stop of the day is the Zoo Hellbrunn. It's a smaller zoo filled with many exotic animals and Rachel falls in love with a little monkey. She even buys herself a small stuffed animal version on their way out when they visit the gift shop. All in all it's a pretty amazing day and Rachel couldn't be happier with everything that she got to see. Finn just likes seeing her so happy. She literally beams with radiance throughout the rest of the day.

The next day is their final day in Germany. They visit a few more shops in Berlin and make another stop in the restaurant Finn had come to love and then Finn decides it's time to surprise Rachel. He kind of set this thing up with David last minute, but it's not really going to take up too much extra time so David was fine with it, plus Finn knows it will make Rachel really happy.

Rachel's a bit of a perfectionist so when she finds out they are doing something that is not on the planned itinerary, she gets nervous.

"Finn, where is David taking us? This is not part of the plan and we are supposed to be leaving for Italy tonight."

Finn just laughs at her antics and assures her that everything is fine as their shuttle pulls up in front Mauer Park.

"Where are we?" Rachel asks as she sees a large crowd gathering in the centre of the park.

"Welcome to the final leg of the Germany tour." David tells everyone. "Normally I don't like doing things that are not apart of the itinerary, but I made a special exception this one time." He winks at Finn who grins back at him. "Welcome to the world famous Bearpit Karaoke, and hold onto your hats, I hear we have a Broadway star among us."

He points at Rachel whose jaw has drops from shock when she realizes what Finn has done for her.

"I can't believe you did this." She shouts to her boyfriend over the crowd that has gathered for the afternoon.

Finn shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I knew you would love it so go on and get up there girl."

He playfully shoves Rachel to the front of the line, second only to a blonde girl who looks extremely nervous.

"My friends put me up to this." The blonde explains. "I don't want to. What about you?"

"My boyfriend did this for me." She smiles and points to Finn in the crowd as he waves back. "I love singing."

The girl smiles. "Then you should go ahead of me."

Rachel tries to protest, but the girls provides a good argument.

"Thank you..." Rachel realizes she doesn't know the girls name.

"Sara." The blonde offers, shaking Rachel's outstretched hand.

Rachel takes the stage after, already knowing what she wants to sing for Finn. She walks over to the man controlling the equipment and gives him her song choice. Surprisingly, he understands English very well and immediately gives her an encouraging nod.

Rachel takes the microphone from his hand and looks toward the audience of about a hundred or so people. She sees Finn standing off to the side, giving her his signature smile that she is starting to believe is reserved for her.

"This is for my boyfriend." The music begins and the noise from the crowd softens

_Heart beats fast_

_Colors and Promises_

_How to be brave_

_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall_

_But watching you stand alone_

_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

_One step closer_

She gives Finn a beaming smile when she sees what looks to be tears forming in his eyes, though it may just be her imagination.

_I have died everyday waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

The song continues and Rachel sings only to Finn, the rest of the audience fading away as it seems as if they are the only two people in the world.

The song eventually comes to an end and the crowd erupts in applause. Rachel bows and says thank you before leaving the stage, handing the microphone off to Sara who shakily goes next, singing her rendition of I Love Rock n Roll.

"Baby!" Finn greets when she reaches him. "That was amazing. I mean I knew you were amazing but that was just beyond..."

Rachel smiles and blushes. "Thank you." She says showing an uncharacteristic side of herself...the shy side. She hugs him tightly and snuggles into his arms to watch the next few performances, including one more by another member of their tour group, before David says it is time they must be leaving.

So far this trip has exceeded everything she thought it would be and Rachel knows Italy will hold more amazing opportunities for her and Finn. She owes Tina and Mercedes and the rest of her castmates a huge debt of gratitude for realizing she needed a break and sending her on this vacation, without them she would not have met Finn, and he is quickly becoming a huge part of her heart.

v.

The final part of their trip is a scheduled tour of Italy. They caught a flight from Frankfurt to Rome the night before and although everyone is beyond exhausted from their long night of travel, they have places to be and things to see.

The first stop is a tour of the ancient Roman Colliseum. If Finn's being honest, this is probably the part of the trip he is most looking forward to. He has spent quite a bit of time looking up the stories of the Colliseum and how it was used as a battlefront for animals and humans. He gives Rachel his basic run down of the history and she rolls her eyes when he goes on and on about the epic fights that must have occurred here, showing off his inner Gladiator. He might be the sweetest and most perfect guy Rachel has ever met, but deep down he is still a typical guy, and she is perfectly fine with that.

"Isn't this cool, Rach?" Finn asks as they stare down from the top level of the Colliseum to look into what is left of what looks to be prison cells or cages.

"Yeah Finn, really cool." She mumbles, though something catches her eye.

He looks to where she is staring and and eyes what looks to be a stage area. He smiles knowing that she is thinking of how neat it would be to perform here.

"You miss it?" Finn asks.

"What?" Rachel asks, looking up to meet his eyes.

"The stage, work?" He shrugs.

Rachel sighs and nods a little. "A bit. Don't get me wrong, I've loved this trip and I know I needed the break, but I do miss work. The stage is where I'm meant to be."

Finn nods in understanding. "I can't wait to see you perform."

Rachel's eyes widen in surprise. "You really want to come to my show?"

"Course, my girlfriend's the star. Why wouldn't I want to see that?" He asks and she shrugs. "Besides, I need to brag to every one around me that I'm dating a Broadway star."

Tears form in Rachel's eyes as she stares up at Finn. "You really think we'll make it?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Finn questions. "We live in the same city. Yeah I live in a different part, but we can commute. I don't want to lose what we have." Finn says seriously, turning and looking her directly in the eyes so she can see the adoration in his. "I love you."

Rachel gasps because she really didn't expect those words to come out of his mouth just yet, although she is sure how she feels. "I love you too." She replies.

The smile that breaks out on Finn's face is brighter than anything she has ever seen as he picks her up and spins her around.

Their special moment is broken when they hear David calling for them saying that it is time to leave. They have other things to see.

Finn keeps hold of Rachel's hand at all times as they walk all through the ancient ruins of Rome and through the Vatican. The Vatican is extremely crowded as people gather to hear a speech from the Pope. Their tour group listens intently for awhile and then silently break away, not wanting to appear rude.

That night when they are given their free time, while most people choose to go shopping, Finn opts to take Rachel out for dinner to celebrate their earlier sentiments.

"Finn, where exactly are you taking me?" Rachel asks as she lets him lead her through the streets of Rome.

"You'll see." He says simply as he covers her eyes with his hands.

A few minutes later he tells her she can open her eyes. It's a little whole in the wall restaurant that kind of reminds her of a restaurant near her apartment in New York.

"What is this place?" Rachel asks in awe as they walk in the door.

"It's a little restaurant David told me about. He said they've got a really great vegetarian menu, as well as the most amazing pizza you could ever try."

"Sounds perfect." Rachel beams. And it really is an amazing place. Rachel orders a vegetarian pasta while Finn orders a pizza with 5 different kinds of cheese on it. He forces Rachel to at least try some, and though she is extremely reluctant and pretends not to like it, the pizza is actually really good. Finn asks what kind of cheese was on the pizza and is almost sorry he did. Rachel holds back a fit of laughter after he almost blanches when he finds out one of the cheeses was blue cheese.

They walk back to their hotel that night, arm in arm, feeling like nothing could come between them. They get up to their rooms and this time instead of going their separate ways, Rachel takes Finn's hand and leads her into her bedroom.

As soon as they walk in the door, Rachel's mouth is on his, kissing him with all the passion she has, which given that she is Rachel Berry, is a whole lot. Finn lifts her up and her legs find his waist as he stumbles over to her bed, laying her down gently on top of the comforter.

They kiss heatedly for what seems like hours, before Rachel instructs Finn to take off his clothes as she does the same. Soon their both naked and Finn has to force his mouth to stay closed as he lays eyes on Rachel. Her body is even more beautiful then he pictured, and she seems to think the same about him.

They let their hands roam the expanse of each other's bodies for awhile, getting used to one another before Rachel whispers "I'm ready" into Finn's ear.

He pulls away from her and stares into her large brown eyes. "You're sure?"

She nods, never feeling more sure of anything in her entire life. He goes to grab a condom from his wallet and comes back to the bed as Rachel reaches out and grabs it from him before rolling it on quickly. Soon she's back on her bed as Finn hovers over her, whispering that he loves her, before he slowly pushes his way into her. She's extremely tight at first, so Finn moves around a bit, gently of course, until she loosens up and lets go a little. He moves even more once she pushes her hips a little more into his as they begin to find a rhythm. He kisses her neck and squeezes her breasts as she squeezes her eyes shut as he moves within her, feeling like she's about to reach the edge. She clenches tightly around him before pulsating and losing herself in him. He comes a few moments later and they are both left with a feeling of pure happiness and contentment as they struggle to catch their breaths.

"That was _so _amazing." Finn whispers in her ear as she cuddles into him, her head on his chest.

She can only nod in agreement. Never in her life has she ever felt this way after being with a man, not that there have been many. With Finn it wasn't just sex, it was making love and if this feeling is any indication, she can see herself doing this for the rest of her life.

They fall alseep together that night and everything feels right in the world.

The next day, they can't keep their hands or eyes off each other as they tour more of Rome. Finn constantly has Rachel's hand in his, even as they eat lunch. It's like a bigger shift has occurred in their relationship and now he can't get enough of her. Luckily he think she feels the same way about him.

When they get to the Trevi Fountain, Rachel tells Finn to give her a dollar.

"What?" Finn asks confused.

"I want to make a wish." Rachel explains and looks at him as if he should just know that.

"Isn't that something kids do?" Finn asks as he hands her the Euro.

Rachel shrugs. "Who cares." She tosses the coin into the water and closes her eyes for a second.

"What did you wish for?" Finn asks curiously.

Rachel shakes her head. "I'm not telling."

"Aww, come on Rach. If you tell me, I might be able to make it come true." Finn says.

Rachel thinks for a second before giving in. "Fine, I wished that we could be together forever." She blushes when she sees the look on Finn's face. "I'm sorry, I know that is stupid considering we just started dating."

Finn quickly shakes his head. "Not at all. I wished the exact same thing last night."

"Really?" Rachel asks shyly, looking up at him through long lashes.

"Really." Finn smiles as he leans in and kisses her lips gently.

"I love you." Rachel breathes when she pulls away.

"I love you more." Finn replies.

They tour around Rome a bit more taking in the cities long history. Finn makes Rachel try a bit of his gelato, though he knows she is vegan. Unfortunately the cafe didn't have vegan gelato, and really who can go to Italy and not try gelato?

The next day they take off for Florence. It is a beautiful city and is not nearly as crowded as Rome. They only spend one day there, touring its Cathedrals, its castle, and museums, but it is there last stop in the city that is the most special. They stop on a bridge, which Finn forgets the name of, that is covered in small apartments and stores, but that has an opening to look out onto the beautiful river below.

The sky that day is grey, filled with clouds that kind of blend in with the cities grey brick buildings, but Rachel stands out. She's leaning against the side of the bridge, looking out over the water, and Finn thinks it's the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. It's then that he realizes he really is going to love this girl for the rest of his life, even after only knowing her for a few weeks. He snaps a picture before she notices anything.

"See something you like, Hudson?" Rachel grins after hearing the click from the camera.

"Oh you know, just the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He says.

Rachel's eyes glaze over and she leans up to kiss him before whispering against his lips "most perfect boyfriend ever."

They leave Florence the next day en route to Venice where they will spend the last 2 days of their trip. Rachel tells Finn that she is sad they weren't able to visit Naples, as where that is where her family is from.

"Well that just means we will have to come back again someday." Finn assures her.

They take a small boat to Venice and Rachel and Finn spend the entire boat ride at the front of the boat kissing and looking out at the water, totally in love.

They arrive in Venice and the first think Rachel notices is is all the gondolas and canals. She can't wait until they take a gondola ride, it'll be the most romantic thing ever.

The first stop is St. Marks Basilica, and out of all the Cathedrals they've visited, this is definitely their favourite one to date. It's incredibly beautiful with its high, marble pillars, and mosaics. They are able to venture out onto the roof and takes pictures of the square below. It's not nearly as crowded as they thought it would be, so they are given a great view of the city.

They tour through Doge's Palace and into the Bridge of Sighs, overlooking one of the many canals. They take David's advice to 'get lost in Venice' for a few hours, which basically means they wander the streets and see things they wouldn't normally get to see otherwise. Finn finds a vendor selling jewellery and buys Rachel a beautiful necklace and Ventian glass.

The next day is their last day of the trip before heading back to America. They tour some more museums, a tiny art gallery, and take a gondola ride. They both sit in the back of the gondola, which only contains a couple other of their fellow group members, and kiss as they listen to the relaxing sounds of the water splashing against the side of the boat and the gondola driver (gondolier?) humming the words to an old Italian song. It is all very romantic and well worth the extra amount of money they had to pay.

They are saddened to leave Italy and Europe in general, but now they both feel more rejuvenated than ever and are more than ready to head home.

vi.

"I can't believe this trip is over." Rachel cries into Finn's side as they walk out of JFK Airport.

Finn sighs and holds her tighter, kissing the top of her head. She started crying as they said goodbye to David and some of their other group members they had become friends with. David had wished them both good luck both in their future endeavours and relationship. He honestly wanted to see them make it.

"I know baby." He whispers.

"I'll never forget it as long as I live." Rachel says.

"Me neither." Finn assures her.

"I'll never forget you either."

"Lucky for you, you'll never have to." Finn grins happily.

"Yeah, i'll see you tomorrow night for dinner?"

Finn nods. "You better, my brother's been bugging me to meet you since the first time I told him about you."

Rachel smiles. "Well I can't wait to meet Kurt and Blaine. From what you've told me, it sounds like Kurt is my soulmate."

Finn frowns at that, although he knows she is kidding. "I thought I was your soulmate."

Rachel laughs. "You are, Finn, you are."

"I can't believe what came out of this trip!" Finn exclaims. "I mean here I was just looking for a little bit of a getaway, only to come away with an amazing experience and an even more amazing girlfriend."

"You, what about me?" Rachel says. "I was just looking for a break from work, I never expected to fall in love. But I'm so glad I did."

Finn can't help it anymore, as he pulls her in for a kiss outside of her cab. They kiss hungrily for a few minutes, both taking each other in, not wanting to be separated after being with each other for weeks.

"Finn, I've gotta go." Rachel says as she pulls away.

"Ok." Finn says sadly. "Call me later?"

Rachel smiles and nods. "I promise."

And just like that they are back in the real world, or at least what feels like the real world, after living in a fantasy world for 3 weeks. The only difference is that now their real worlds consist of each other, and nothing is better than that.

Thank you and please review :)


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